Ukraine’s chief spy Budanov weighs in on Russia’s post-war troop reductions
Photo: Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
According to Kyrylo Budanov, the Head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Russia will not reduce the size of its army after the war. He explains this from an economic point of view.
“How can we predict anything? First of all, they will not significantly reduce the size of their Armed Forces. Absolutely not. And there are completely logical reasons for that. First and foremost, they need this number of troops according to their strategy,” Budanov said.
Speaking about financial costs, he explained that currently, 50% of Russia’s entire military budget goes toward combat-related payments.
“These include extra payments to soldiers, one-time signing bonuses, final payments if they survive until the end of the contract, compensation for injuries, and death benefits,” he said.
The second portion of Russia’s military budget goes toward the purchase of ammunition. The third is used for the repair and maintenance of equipment. Budanov noted that once the war ends, these payments will stop. As a result, funds will be freed up. Therefore, the enemy will not cut the size of its army.
“When the war ends, all these payments stop. The problems go away, and a massive portion of the budget is freed. So, there will be no reduction,” the Chief of Defense Intelligence concluded.
As a reminder, a month earlier, Budanov stated that Russia seeks to achieve a pause in the war against Ukraine to restore its forces. He also said that at this stage, Russia has reached the peak of its military production capacity.
